Why the Washington Redskins Lost To the New York Giants

I'm not going to get too wee-weed up (love that Obama term) over the Redskins' performance at the Meadowlands Sunday, especially since no one predicted a win anyway.

This glass is half full. Jason Campbell threw for more yards (211) than the Redskins gained in total offense in last year's opening game (209), offsetting the decline in the rushing game.

Washington held the Giants to a field goal in the second half and was effective against the Giants running game.

Antwaan Randle El was impressive playing from the slot, his natural position. He should match up well against most nickel backs and linebackers.

But a loss is a loss. This game was not a good loss like Oakland's close loss against San Diego Monday night. But there's time to make corrections. Washington has people who can do it and a soft schedule ahead.

The most interesting read from the game by NJ.com's Mike Garafolo. NJ.com is Giants-centric, but Garafolo had a few game balls for Redskin players.

"DT Albert Haynesworth. He's the real deal, people. And how about the 'Skins lining him up at DE on passing downs a few times? If you're Giants LT David Diehl, I'd say it's pretty safe you can assume a bull rush.

"LB London Fletcher. One of the most underappreciated players in the league. And, like Haynesworth, one of the rare cases of money well spent by Washington."

Garafolo panned both LaRon Landry's and DeAngelo Hall's performance on the big play by Giants receiver Mario Manningham.

Manninghan's rookie year was a bigger disappointment than Malcolm Kelly's and he showed nothing during preseason. So I was surprised, make that shocked, by his run after the catch on that play. Is he that good, or did he just made our secondary look stupid? Time will tell on both counts.

Of all the critiques of Washington's play, here is the most damning: They bored us.

The Real Reason The Redskins Lost to the Giants

The New York Giants have a superior front office!

They don't turn over coaches. They didn't fire Tom Coughlin when things were tough. They worked with him and went to the Super Bowl.

The Redskins fumbled their coach hire—of the Giants defensive coordinator no less—and end up pitting someone coaching his 17th game against someone coaching his 209th.

The Giants have roster resilience. They lost Plaxico Burress and Osi Umenyiora and still made the 2008 playoffs.

You won't see them trade valuable draft picks in a panic for a T.J. Duckett or Jason Taylor when they have bench strength can and do step up. The Giants have faith in their back-ups, so they keep their draft picks. Washington, not so much.

Washington has good players, too. They must be good. We bring back after we let them go. If Derrick Dockery, Fred Smoot and Renaldo Wynn are good enough to bring back, they are good enough to have kept in the first place.

Tell me again why Ryan Clark is good enough to play for the Super Bowl Steelers, but not as good as Adam Archuleta.

The Redskin ownership shoots themselves in their own foot with their odd aproach to the roster (must...resist...Burress...reference).

If Washington kept the picks that were wasted on Duckett and Taylor, they would have had enough picks to waste on deals for Jay Cutler, or Mark Sanchez, or even for Chad Ochocinco. (Ugh)

Why trust the Snyder brain trust's evaluation of Jason Campbell. Aren't these the guys who let Brad Johnson and Stephen Davis walk away for Jeff George and Trung Canidate?

If they think Jason Campbell is bad, he must really be good.

You won't see New York make cavalier changes of offensive schemes as the Skins did when they switched from the Coryell Downfield System to the West Coast Offense, thereby setting the clock back three to five seasons before a big payoff.

The Giants are New York's team, but it's the Redskins who build rosters like a Broadway cast, with a few headliners and all those anonymous little people in the chorus.

You'd buy an overpriced ticket and go see a Broadway show because it's a one-time event. This is football. We're sign on for the long term quest for a title. It's those anonymous, front line people in the chorus who make the hits.